US lawmakers Chrissy Houlahan and French Hill visited the detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan at Kuje Prison in Nigeria.
In an X post on June 20, Hill described Gambaryan’s wrongful detention in what he called a “horrible prison,” bringing attention to the health concerns Gambaryan is facing while in custody.
Gambaryan, in spite of his double pneumonia, malaria, and severe weight loss, is not receiving proper medical attention.
“We found him suffering from the conditions [at the Kuje prison]… Even worse, he’s being denied access to adequate medical attention.”
Hill Calls for Gambaryan’s Release
Hill also emphasized the irony of Gambaryan’s circumstances, given that he has actively fought against accusations of tax evasion and money laundering.
Hill emphasized that Gambaryan ought to be permitted to go back to the United States and demanded his immediate humanitarian release.
Yesterday, @RepHoulahan and I visited with US citizen Tigran Gambaryan in Kuje Prison in Nigeria. We found him suffering from the conditions there, as he has malaria and double pneumonia, and he reports that he has lost significant weight. Even worse, he's being denied access to… pic.twitter.com/OKEHMXxuF4
— French Hill (@RepFrenchHill) June 20, 2024
Alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, Gambaryan, a US citizen who oversees the company’s financial crime compliance division, was taken into custody.
On March 22, Anjarwalla did, however, manage to get out of custody.
A growing coalition of politicians and former federal agents is working to secure Gambaryan’s release, and this visit by US lawmakers is part of that effort.
Proposals for his release have been sent to the State Department, and Yuki Gambaryan, his wife, has expressed disbelief and annoyance at his prolonged detention.
She expressed her belief that the State Department could do more to secure the release of an innocent American citizen and urged the US government to step up its efforts to bring her husband back home.
As of June 20, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reopened its money laundering case against Gambaryan and Binance, adding to the cryptocurrency trader’s mounting legal troubles in Nigeria.
During the session, witnesses were subjected to cross-examination, one of whom was Abdulkabir Abbas, a director of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
In his testimony, Abbas claimed that before starting business in the nation, Binance had neglected to register with his office.
The Nigerian SEC ruled Binance’s operations unlawful last year and issued a warning to users not to use the platform.
Gambaryan Cleared of Tax Charges
Notably, there was a recent court ruling on June 14 that cleared Gambaryan and Anjarwalla of tax evasion charges.
The FIRS first brought tax invasion charges against Gambaryan and Anjarwalla in March 2024, claiming that they had neglected to pay taxes on bitcoin transactions totaling billions of naira.
Binance was charged with failing to file tax returns, failing to pay company tax, and failing to pay value-added tax.
The Nigerian government, purportedly to be manipulating foreign exchange rates, has been clamping down on cryptocurrency trading platforms.
Due to accusations of money laundering and violating foreign exchange laws, the EFCC is pursuing separate prosecutions against Binance and its executives.
As part of a campaign against currency speculation, the Nigerian government banned cryptocurrency channels, which led to the arrest of the executives of Binance.
The situation has been further complicated by the devaluation of the Naira, which has lost 70% of its value against the dollar since last year’s foreign exchange reforms. This devaluation has been made worse by a local dollar shortage.